Stapling apparatus



Jan. 30', 1945.

v D. ,R. LA PLACE STAPLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 3, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I unsung? 1 INVENTOR 1945- D. R. LA PLACE 2,368,552

STAPLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet-Z INVENTO R @M 2 w M 7 6%? 4% MM Patented Jan. so, 1945 STAPLING APPARATUS Desmond R. La Place, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Bocjl ware Application September 3, 1942,,Serial No. 457,167

8 Claims.

Corporation, a corporation of Dela- This invention pertains to the art of stapling and more particularly to a stapling apparatus in which preformedstaples are used, and the invention pertains especially to a magazine construction for apparatus of this kind.

Preformed staples are commonly secured together in face-to-face relation, usually being bonded with an adhesive to form rows or sticks of staples. Driving mechanism is commonly provided for accommodating only a single row or stick of staples. The present invention provides a stapling tool having a magazine which will receive a number of rows of staples, the staples of which may or may not be cemented together. With. the present invention the capacity of the stapling machines canbevery substantially increased. The invention further contemplates that a portion of themagazine may. be of inexpensive construction so that it may be readily discarded and replaced by another, the replacement units being part of an original staple package. The staples may thus be packaged in a magazine element which can be inserted as a unit into .the stapling machine.

My invention may be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings:

No. 346,959, filed July'23, 1940 for improvements in Stapling machine and method of stapling now issued as Patent 2,308,611 of January 19, 1943.

In the drawings, 2 designates a solid metal block having a guideway 3 therein in which a driver 4 is slidable. The lower part of the guideway designated forms a recess into which staples are delivered, one at a time, as will hereinafter be more fully described, to be engaged by the driver 4. The body 2 is fixed in a cylindrical shell 6 and this'shell is provided at l with op- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of 's'tapling machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one form of magazine member comprising a part of the machine shown in Figure l I Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the assembly shown in Figure 1, the View being on a scale slightly larger than Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section insubstantially the plane of line IVIV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line V'-V of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line VI-VI of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of magazine construction, part of the figure being in section;

Figure 8 is a transverse section through the magazine shown in Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing a modified form of magazine. I

In Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, I haveillustrated a staplingmechanism in which staples of a generally U-shaped form are employed, although the particular mechanism illustrated shows a special form of driver and a special form of staple having lugs struck up from the legs thereof, this particular form of staple being the subject matter of a copending application, Serial positely projecting feet which enables the tool or stapling device to be set upon a flat surface and these feet prevent it from rolling. The shell 6 in Figure 3 is illustrated as being surrounded by a shortslidable sleeve 8 which has a tongue 9 that projects across the bottom of the staple guide 5. a This sleeve is desirable, aspointed out in my copending application for a special type of staple but for ordinary staples not equipped with lugs on the legs it is not required.

Inserted in the open end of the shell 6 is a magazine or barrel designated generally as l0 and which has a knurled terminal portion I l that is accessible at the end of the shell 6 to enable the barrel to be turned in the shell 6 or to be withdrawn from the shell 6. Extending inwardly from the knurled rim H is a cylindrical portion [2 which has a rotating fit inside the sleeve 6.

; It is shown as having a spring detent l3 thereon.

This detent has a projection l4 that is adapted to yieldably enter one of several holes I5 in the shell. The detent 13in conjunction with the holes I5 provides an indexing mechanism whereby the position of the magazine or barrel may be properly co-related to the driver.

Extending forwardly from the cylindrical portion I 2 is an extension which has a number of longitudinal grooves or channels 16. The channels is are shaped to receive a row or stick of staples,these staples being designated generally as A. The staples constituting the row A may be cemented together or they may be detached from one another. The grooves or channels l6 are of a dimension such as to snugly receive the staples. While the individual staples are illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4 as being provided with small lugs projecting from the legs thereof, conventional staples may be used in place of the particular form illustrated. Where lugs are provided 0n the legs of the staples the outer part of the channels I6 is slightly wider than the inner part to provide clearance for these lugs. In Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, the magazine is provided with four channels or grooves 15 to accommodate four separate rows of staples but any number may be employed consistent with good design for the machine and subject to the size of the staples and the diameter of the magazine. Since there are four rows of staples there are four indexing holes iii in the shell 6 of the tool.

Extendinglong-itudinally fromthe endof each channel. I6 to the outer end of the barrel is a: hole I1. At I8 is an annular space and the outer end of each hole I! is in the form of a key slot;v

these key openings being best shown in Figurefi and being designated I9.

Removably inserted Instead of the rotatable barrel being completely discarded, the barrel may be of a composite construction in which there is one permanent part to which a removable and throw-away cylindrical holder may be attached, as shown for example in Figures 7 and 8. Referring to Figures '7 and 8, the rotatable barrel has a knurled knob 21 and, a cylindrical part" 28" which fits within the shell 6' and which carries an indexing detent 29 similar to the detent l3. The forward end of the part 28 has a castellated extension 30. The staple holder is shaped from sheet material,

preferably metal, to provide a body 3| of genin one of the openings ll- -i9:is.--a staple-row feeding mechanism designatedgby;,thereference 1 numeral 20. It has a shaft portion 2i of the same diameter as the hole [.1 and it has a radial pin 22 which can pass through the key slot in the opening l9 and be received in the space I131.v

It hasat its outer end a knurled knob 23... Ex:-v tendingl forwardly from the shaftportion 21' is? a rod" 24,,the I length .ofthis rod being; such. that: it is longerthan the magazine; and reaches almost. to but. does not'extend into the staple guide 5'. Thi'sirod, asbest1slrown in'Figure'4',fis' clear of the: staples in thegroove; I16 along which the; rod extends so" that. it does not". contact the staples; or interferewitlrthe longitudinal movement of therow. of staples; This. rodacts. merely asa'guidefor agpusher or follower .25 that is slid.- able along the rod. A compression spring. 26" confined between ,thefollower 2'5 and the. part 'Z'lo'f the'ass'emblyexerts a pressure on the follower, tending to urge the row of staples in the groove "5 in which the follower isjpushed toward the staple guide 5''; Thus, ,as one staple'is-driven out through'the gui'd'e'5' the Whole'row ispressed forward totbring'tlfienext'stapleinto position to be driven; The "staple row'feeding-mechanism is always positioned inthat-channel 16- whichis' in registration withthestaple guide, i. e; the'bot erally cylindrical-form in which the metal is of ,crenelated; fornrproviding a series of longitudinal grooves 32 fersholding conventional U-shaped staples. .One end of; the sheet metal magazine fits frictionally into the castellated end 30 of parti2'8.. When the sheet metal holder 3| is applied to the supporting member the parts. fit together as illustrated in Figure-land the ends ofi'the-channels 32pro perly lineup with thehol'es. Sbthrough which staple-row -feeding mechanism similar tothat shown in Figure 3', maybe in.- serted. Themagazinestructure-3 lmay hold several rows: of staplesand can; be discardeda fter the staples havebeenconsumed'Q Toproyidea shipping packagetherperiphery ofithecarrier ii may be enclosed-within apaper'co-ver orisleeve'ifi' as shown inFi'gure 8, and this may, if desired,

beleft in place when the magazine-is inserted in the chamber-of 'the'stapling'tool';

Instead'of being constructedas shown in Figure 8," the cross section: of" the carrier may be of the; form" illustrated 'in Figure 9' in which. the

channelsiorreceiving-the rows of; staples are turnedinwardl'y' instead of" outwardly. 'In this tomchannel asviewed-in Figures 3 and la- When one rowof staples has been exhausted the knob 23 is turned sq that the pin 2'2 may come" out through 'th-e keyslot and thewh'ole mechanism is thenpulled back and removed-entirely from the" m'aga'zine. The-magazine isthen rotated to bring another channel into. staple"driving'position, the

knurl'edrim; l l 'onthebarrel enabling the barrel to be grasped and vturned; After the maga- LZi'ne hasbeenturnedthestaple row feeding mech anism is inserted to feed thenew row of staples.

Thei'nven'tion thus'provides 'astapli'ng apparatus -having a s'hell or magazine which, removably receives a rotatable" barrel, this barrel holding a plurality of rows of staples, each of which may be successively brought into a position to be consumed. 'Al'so, there"is provided an arrangementwhereirrthe axis'ofthebarrel is perpendicular 'to the membend which reciprocates across th'eend of'the barrel for removing the staples one at a-time from-therowwhich is'being consumed; 7

The barrelorr'nechanism, instead of being made entirelyfrom metal, maybe made wholly "or partly'-f i'om' wood or-from a'rpl'astic'so that the barrel may be thrown away after'allotthestapics are cons-umedand'a new barrel used in its place.- In-thi's"case, an-original'-\package of stapleswillpompri'sea barrelhaving channels therein' w'it'hthe rowsof staples arranged'in the chansliown'in' Figure 8; be wrapped around the bar- 'rel 'to"retain-thestaples' ina package of this character; Y

A paper sle'eve 'or envelope-'36 may, as

construction, 31- designates the: staple receiving channels, and 38, is a'hollo-w core which may be either of" metal or" paper and which may be permanently or removabl'y placed Within the car.- rier and which will 'holdthe staple against radial displacement; This carrier may be temporarily,

fitted to av permanent part 39, similar to the' member 28 of Figure 7.1"The' core 38'serves to keep the staples in their respective channels.

While I'have illustrated and described certain particularforms ofmagazines or barrels; it will be understood thatthis'is' merely by way of illustration' and that various changes andmodificatio'ns may be made within the construction and the arrangementcofi parts-"in the invention and under tliescope of. the following, claims, and' that.

the invention is. adaptedto various types of staplin-g'machines other than the one specifically shown. I

I 'claim as my invention:

1. In a stapling. apparatus, a cylindrical staple holder having an annularv series. of longitudinally extending staple receivingchannels therein, ,each of said channels being shaped to receive'arow of' substantially U-shaped staples with the legs thereof pointed. toward the periphery of the holder, and means for: conf ning. rows, ofistaples in thechannels...

'2. stapling apparatus; rcompri si ,s ,a. cylindrical staple holder having an annular series of'longitudinally extending outwardly opening staple; re; ceivingchannels therein ofa width and depth equal=to thewidtli' and'depth ofthe staplesto be received-therein, a" stapling machine having a chamber for receiving said holder, said holder being rotatable; in said chamber, andimeans for feeding staples from the holder to the stapling machine;

means for restraining the staples in said channel against displacement in a-radial direction.

4.Stapling apparatus comprising a stapling mecahnism having a chamber, a rotatable barrel in the chamber having a series of longitudinally extending outwardly opening staple holding channels therein each adapted to. receive a row of staples therein with the legs of the staples pointing outwardly, means at one end of the chamber providing a staple guide from which staples are dispensed one at a time, means for indexing the barrel in the chamber whereby the channelsmay be successively alined with said guide, and feeding means guided in one end of the barrel for engaging the row of staples which is in alinement with said guide for urging said row of staples toward the guide.

5. stapling apparatus comprising a stapling mechanism having a chamber, a rotatable barrel in the chamber having a series of longitudinally extending outwardly opening staple holding channels therein each adapted to receive a row of staples therein with the legs of the staples pointing outwardly, means at one end of the chamber providing a staple guide from which staples are dispensed one at a time, means for indexing the barrel in the chamber whereby the channels may be successively alined with said guide, and feeding means for engaging the row of staples which is in alinement with said guide for urging said row of staples toward the guide, said means being removably entered through the end of the barrel. i

6. A stapling machine comprising a body having a guide therein, a driver slidably mounted in the guide, a shell providing a cylindrical chamber the longitudinal axis of which is at right angles to the plane of the driver, and a rotatable barrel in said chamber having an annular series of longitudinally extending staple receiving channels therein, said barrel being axially removable from the'shell at the end remote from the guide.

7. A stapling machine comprising a body having a guide therein, a driver slidably mounted in the guide, a shell providing a cylindrical cham her the longitudinal axis ,of which is at right angles to the plane of thedriver, a rotatable barrel in-said chamber having an annular series of longitudinally extending staple receiving chan nels therein, and indexing means for releasably holding the barrel in one position in which one of the channels is pushed to deliver the staples to said guide, said barrel being axially removable from the shell at the end remote from the guide:

8. A stapling machine comprising a body having a guide therein, a driverslidably mounted in the guide, a shell providing a cylindrical chamher the longitudinal axis of which is at right angles to the plane of the driver, a rotatable barrel in said chamber having an annular series of longitudinally extending staple receiving channels therein, indexing means for releasably holding the barrel in one position in which one of the channels is positioned to deliver staples to said guide, and means entered into therchannel which is so positioned for moving the row of staples therein toward the driver, said barrel being axially removable from the shell mote from the guide.

at the end re- 

